Unclear how private corporations will follow suit

It is clear the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby's lack of coverage for any employees' potential contraceptive needs has expanded religious rights. It is not yet clear, however, how many other owners of closely held, private corporations will attempt to follow suit.

Andrew Spiropoulos, an Oklahoma City University law professor, believes it will be difficult for business owners of other closely held, private corporations to compare their corporations to the way the Green family has been operating Hobby Lobby for the past several years.

"There are very few companies in which it is clear -- that the way the company is run -- that the purpose of the company is not just to make profit, but also to embody the religious principles of the people that own it," Spiropoulos said. "There are just very few people who are as consistent and as systematic in the practice of their faith as the Greens are."

Spiropoulos said the need for a corporation owner to prove they are incorporating their faith in their corporation's regular business practices will make it difficult for a flood of corporation owners to successfully copy Hobby Lobby.

Todd Lisle, a local certified public accountant and managing partner at BKD Oklahoma CPAs & Advisors, said the term "closely held" does not necessarily mean family-owned.

"In contrast, say to companies that stock or are publicly traded in the marketplace, i.e. Devon or Sonic or Chesapeake or somebody like that, these are going to be companies that are held by one individual or a small group of individuals but have incorporated themselves," Lisle said.

Lisle said he interprets the Monday SCOTUS ruling to mean that closely held private corporations are to be viewed as an extension of the individuals who own them -- unlike corporations that are publicly traded and therefore owned by many.

"You've diversified the ownership substantially in a broadly publicly traded corporation -- which is not what the authors of the case are trying to capture," Lisle said.

KOCO reached out to other Oklahoma-based businesses that are closely held and not publicly traded to learn whether they plan to follow Hobby Lobby's lead; however, some declined comment and others did not immediately return phone calls.

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ANDREW SPIROPOULOS TEACHES CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AT OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY. HE SAYS OTHER COMPANIES HAVE A LOT TO PROVE BEFORE THEY CAN FOLLOW IN HOBBY LOBBY'S FOOTSTEPS. IT'S CLEAR THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION INVOLVING HOBBY LOBBY HAS EXPANDED RELIGIOUS RIGHTS FOR PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS. BUT IT'S NOT YET CLEAR HOW MANY OTHER PRIVATELY HELD CORPORATIONS WILL TRY TO FOLLOW SUIT WHEN IT COMES TO CONTRACEPTIVES. ANDREW SPIROPOULOS -- A CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR AT OKC UNIVERSITY -- SAYS IT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR OTHER COMPANIES TO COMPARE THEMSELVES TO THE WAY GREEN FAMILY HAS BEEN OPERATING HOBBY LOBBY FOR YEARS. CLIP 1 ANDREW SPIROPOULOS/OKL AHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY OF LAW 13:57:09:25 There are very few companies in which it is clear that the way the company is run that the purpose of the company is not just to make profit but also to embody the religious principles of the people that own it. There are just very few people who are as consistent and as systematic in the practice of their faith as the Greens are. HE SAYS THE NEED FOR A COMPANY TO PROVE THAT IT'S PRACTICING A CERTAIN FAITH IN ITS REGULAR BUSINESS PRACTICES WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR A FLOOD OF BUSINESSES TO SUCCESSFULLY COPY HOBBY LOBBY. AGAIN - THE DECISION INVOLVES "CLOSELY HELD" BUISNESSES. AT SIX O'CLOCK, WE'LL HEAR FROM A LOCAL ACCOUNTANT WHO DEFINES WHAT THAT MEANS. ARIANA GARZA, KOCO 5 NEWS.

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